Posts Tagged Native Woman the Musical

Premiering on the Andy Boss Thrust Stage from May 9 to 13, is New Native Theatre’s production, Native Woman the Musical, which features stories told by Native women through individual and group performances. It’s a follow-up to the 2014 Minnesota Fringe Festival hit Native Man the Musical. As with that show, come expecting an eclectic range of topics, tenor and creative expression. We will, for instance, hear a mother-daughter duo talk about her mother’s boarding school experience by dancing to music by Rachel Platten, watch a tap- and taiko-infused segment and much more. The constant in every performance will be the use of music in the telling of the tales.

“Presenting these plays is an ongoing mission of ours in a way that no other theatre can duplicate,” said Rhiana Yazzie, the founder of New Native Theatre. “Native Woman the Musical is an opportunity for Native women to express themselves however they want.” The theatre is intentional in creating art solely through the lens of Native Americans, and the production process for Native Woman the Musical was one of intimate collaboration and a healing experience for those involved.

Since 2009, Rhiana has tirelessly helmed New Native Theatre. She’d come from Los Angeles for a 2006/2007 Jerome Fellowship with the Playwrights’ Center; and having grown up in New Mexico recognizing Minneapolis as a Native American political, artistic and cultural mecca, she was surprised by its lack of a Native-focused theatre company. So Rhiana had simply rolled up her sleeves and done something about it!

“For ten years, New Native Theatre has been consistently producing innovative works that give voice to the Native community,” Rhiana stated. “Our artists and audiences feel at home with us, and audiences know that they will leave our shows feeling really good because what we do reflects who they are.”

New Native Theatre has given many Native Americans their first experience to be on or behind the stage. It has also served as a training ground for Native American community members interested in exploring all aspects of theatre arts, from playwriting to designing. By doing so, this theatre empowers Native people to reclaim their narratives and change their self-perceptions. Self-expression becomes a means of self-determination.

In Native Woman the Musical, Native women from throughout Minnesota will dare to speak truth to the experiences lived by Native women. They will appear as their whole selves–the complex human beings that they are.

Come hear their stories! Together, we shall laugh, cry and everything in between.